Sliding button snap switch



Aug. 14, 1956 P. H. WINTER ETAL 2,759,058

SLIDTNG BUTTON SNAP SWITCH Filed July 16, 1954 HE@ 9/ 11g 92 .82 W/L/AM E Z/MMERMAN BY a., a

ATTORNEYS- United States Patent SLIDING BUTTON SNAP SWITCH Paul H. Winter and William F. Zimmerman, Syracuse, N. Y., assignors to Pass & Seymour, Inc., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 16, 1954, Serial No. 443,814

6 Claims. (Cl. 200-67) This invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to relatively small sized snap switches of the sliding button or handle type.

Itis a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved snap switch of the sliding handle TYP@- An important object of the present invention resides in the provision of a snap switch of either the single pole or three-way type having a closed-bottom housing carrying all of the terminals, fixed and movable contacts, and operating mechanism except the slide button, an insulating cover holding some of the conducting parts in position and supporting the slide button, together with a spaced metal cover holding the button in position and providing integral tongues for securing the assembly together.

Another important object of the present invention consists in the arrangement and mounting of the several stationary contacts and their integrated terminal members.

A further object of the invention resides in the arrangement and mounting of the movable contacts on the snap yoke whereby they are insulated from each other.

Other and further objects and features of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding that such changes and modifications may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Fig. l is a top plan View of the switch with the metal and insulating covers, the button unit and the operating spring removed;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section through the switch taken along the plane of broken line 2-2 of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the insulated movable contact;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but taken on the plane of broken line 3--3 of Fig. l looking in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a transverse central section taken on the plane of iine 4 4 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal central section of one end of the switch.

The snap switch of the present invention is of a type somewhat larger, more rugged, dierently shaped and useful for many purposes denied the usual flush-mounted wall type. it can, for instance, be used conveniently for the control of machine tools, appliances and the like, may be mounted in or associated with wiring molding or in conduit boxes and other places where a switch of this size and capacity is desirable.

The drawings illustrate the switch in the form commonly referred to in the industry as a three-way switch, actually a single-pole double-throw switch, but which can be adapted for a single pole switch by the mere omission of one movable switch blade and two stationary contacts.

Likewise by a rearrangement of the positions of the stationary contacts and the addition of one more terminal the switch could be converted to a double-pole doublebreak switch.

In the drawings the switch is shown as assembled in a hollow housing or casing l@ having a flat closed bottom wall ll molded integral with the installation forming the vertical side walls l2 which extend to a considerable height and the end walls 14 of substantially less height. The switch is rectangular in plan, the side walls being approximately twice as long as the end walls. These latter are only approximately half the height of the former but are of great thickness, as seen particularly in Figs. 2 and 3, and their top surfaces are ilat, forming the platforms 16 projecting most of their thickness out beyond the ends of the side walls and serving not only to support terminals but also for the passage of mounting means which may extend, for instance, through openings such as 17 in the centers of these end walls.

Formed integrally with each end wall and the bottom are the duplicate pillars or posts 18 centrally disposed as to width in the housing and expanding to considerable length at their bottoms by having their inner or facing walls 19 sloping, as seen in Fig. l. These pillars extend up beyond the height of the end walls and their iiat tops serve as supports for the thin, insulating cover 2li which ts between the side walls, as seen in Fig. 4. The outer and narrower portions of the posts, as seen at 22, are positioned above the surfaces of the respective platforms i6 and the sides of the posts are vertically slotted as at 23 and to appropriate depths, as will later appear. Opposite slots 23 are facing slots 24 in the side walls near their ends. The outer edges of these slots are in substantial alignment with the inner faces 25 of the end walls of the housing.

In the three-way switch, diagonally opposite corners of each side wall are occupied by stationary contacts, those on one side wall being oppositely disposed from those on the other. Thus in Fig. l the similar contacts 3l), 31) on opposite walls are near the tops of the side walls while the contacts 3l, 31 are substantially against the bottom wall of the housing. All lie close against their side walls.

As seen in Figs. l and 2, contact 30 is bent from a metal plate 35 of such a width as to slip into the slots 23 and 24 between the post and the side wall and be held therein by the cover. This plate is prevented from dropping too low not only by the depth of the slots but by having its lower end narrowed and turned outwardly to form the terminal plate 36 which rests on the platform 16 and carries the wire binding screw 37, whose threaded lower end is accommodated in a suitable clearing well 38 in the end wall. On the other side at the same end the Contact 31 is bent from plate 39 which fits in deeper slots. It is equipped with terminal plate ill extending from its top and resting on the platform and has upturned spaced lugs 41 contacting insulation plate 42 in the slots above it, which insulation closes the end wall of the housing and provides engagement with the cover plate to hold the contact and terminal plate assembly in position.

For a double pole switch the arrangement just described would be changed so that at one end both high contacts would be positioned and at the opposite end both low contacts, while for a three-way switch it is necessary that the contacts at the oppsoite ends be reversed and those at one end electrically connected together, and for that purpose the plates 3S and 39 are of substantially the same construction as those bearing the unprimed numbers except that 39 has no terminal plate but rather an upstanding continuation as if the insulation plate 42 were converted to metal. The slots 23 in the post at this end are wider as are the slots in the end walls so that the connection strap 44 of thin sheet metal may overlie plates 3:3 and 39', being secured to the upward extension of the latter by a hollow rivet 45, but for electrical and mechanical connection to the former it has a tongue 46 turned out to overlie terminal plate 36 and is engaged by the same terminal screw. This is clearly shown at the upper portion of Fig. 3.

The switch as shown and described is adapted to be operated by snapping a pair of parallel disposed double ended switch blades from one position to another in a manner about to be described. Fig. 3 shows one of these switch blades having a central plate Si) and arms 51 and 52 each having laterally offset Contact ends provided with upturned side wings 53. The offset ends are constrained to travel along the surfaces of the side walls, the turned up wings serving to detlect the arm end over the thin stationary contacts Whose edges are tapered for the purpose. The two sets of switch arms are driven in unison by means of a more or less conventional yoke 60, best seen in Figs. l and 4. This yoke is a U-shaped metal stamping having integral trunnion arms 6i fulcrumed in notches 62 formed in the side walls of the housing in a well known manner. One end of the yoke is tted with a driving lug 63 which closely engages the walls of a correspondingly shaped aperture in the central plate for driving the same. On the opposite side the central plate Sti', seen in Fig. 4, is fitted with tongues 64 which are bent over a thin insulation sheet 65 interposed between the plate 50 and the end of the yoke and perforated to have close mechanical engagement with the driving lug 66. The opening in the plate 50' is sufciently large so as not to have any electrical engagement with the yoke. It is thus electrically insulated from the opposite switch arm by the insulation plate 66. This prevents re-establishment of the arc when a three-way circuit is being broken.

The yoke is given the conventional snap movement by the helical compression spring 67, the lower end of which iits over a lug 68 in the bottom of the U of the yoke and the upper end of which is slidable over the semi-ball shaped lower end 70 of a stud 71. This stud is cleared for movement through an opening 72 in the insulating cover 20 and is an integral part of the switch operating button plate 74 comprising a rectangle of insulation of a width to be guided with a sliding tit between the side walls of the housing and of a substantial length to prevent canting. The button plate is held in position and the thrust of the spring 67 resisted by a metal cover plate 75 having a slot 76 through which projects and operates the handle 77 for moving the switch button assembly from one position to the other in the usual manner of a sliding button snap switch. This cover plate also ts between the side walls of the switch housing to determine its position laterally while its longitudinal position and its attachment to the housing is effected by a pair of downturned tongues 8i) seen only in Fig. 5 which each passes through the widened portion of a T-slot 81 in one of the posts 18. The lower end of each tongue is bent over as at 82 in a counterbore from the bottom of the ho-using and engages the bottom wall thereof. This secures the assembly rigidly together since the metal cover plate has downturned spacing ends 84 which rest on the insulation plate 20 to prevent clamping or binding of the button assembly plate 74 between the two covers. The tongues hold down the metal cover which in turn holds down the insulation cover against the tops of the posts. This cover also rests on the tops of the several contact plates and the insulating thrust plate above one or more of the contacts whereby the whole switch is held assembled without any other fastening means.

In operation, the yoke and the button can hold only two different positions, each at one end of its stroke because the spring is then at its position of maximum permitted expansion. lf the button is moved to the other end of its stroke the yoke is immediately thrown to its opposite position, and it is to be noted here that the stroke of the yoke is limited by engagement thereof with the sloping faces 19 of the posts 1S, as clearly seen in Fig. l. The movable contact blades are constrained to move with the yoke and are parallel to each other. With the stationary contacts in diagonally opposite corners on the two side walls it will be seen that in one position one movable blade will close the circuits between the contacts of one wall while the others are open, and vice versa, and because of the cross connection at one end the switch will operate as a standard three-way or single pole double throw switch. The construction and operation for the other two possible circuit arrangements will be obvious.

As seen in Fig. 5, instead of using' wood screws of the countersunk head type in the openings 17 for securing the switch in position, there may" be occasion where machine screws are desirable, and in this case such screws may be supplied with the switch and held in position therein by being passed through a washer 91 of some resilient material housed in a depression 92 in the bottom wall of the switch. u

We claim:

l. In a snap switch, in combination, an insulating housing having a closed bottom, high side walls, end walls of less height but great thickness providing platforms extending outwardly beyond the planes of the ends of the side walls and parallel to the bottom, terminal plates and wire clamps 0n said platforms, a post intermediate the length of each end wall extending from said bottom to a level above said platforms, facing grooves in the post sides and side walls, plates in said grooves integral with said terminal plates, stationary switch contacts extending from said plates into the housing along said side walls, a yoke pivoted in said housing, a contact blade secured to move with said yoke to be engaged with or separated from contacts at opposite ends of one of said side walls, and means to actuate said yoke with a snap from one extreme to the other of its stroke.

2. The switch as defined in claim l in which said posts act as limiting stops for said yoke.

3. The switch as defined in claim l in which can insulating cover is supported on said posts and tits between said side walls,` a Vslide button movable over said cover, guided by said side walls and spring compressed between said button and yoke to provide said snap action.

4. The switch as deinedy in claim l in which an in sulating cover is supported on said posts and fits between said side walls, said cover overlying said contact carrying plates in said grooves to hold them in position, a metal plate overlying said cover and having elongated tongues downturned from its ends, aligned apertures in said insulating cover and said posts receiving said tongues and turned over ends on said tongues engaging said housing to hold the cover in position. y

5. The switch as defined in claim 4 in which said metal cover is supported above the insulating cover, a button plate slidablc inthe space between said covers and guided by the side walls, a slot in the metal cover, an operating button extending from said button plate through said slot, a slot in the insulating cover, a stud extending through said last-mentioned slot and a spring compressed between said stud and the said yoke to provide said snap action as the button handle is moved from one extreme to the other. v l

6. In a snap switch, in combination, an insulating hous; in g having a closed bottom, high side walls, end walls of less height but great thickness providing platforms extending outwardly beyond the planes of the ends of the side walls and parallel to the bottom, terminal plates and wire clamps on said platforms, a post intermediate the length of each end wall extending from said bottom to a level above said platforms, facing grooves in the post sides and side walls, plates in said grooves integral with said terminal plates, at one end of the switch, plates in the other end grooves only one of which has a terminal plate, a tlin strap extending through a transverse slot in the corresponding post and secured to the terminalless plate, said strap having a lug overlying the last mentioned terminal plate to connect the plates at that end of the switch together, a stationary contact extending from each plate into the housing along the adjacent side wall, those on each wall being respectively at top and bottom thereof and reversed on the opposite wall and simultaneously movable parallel positioned switch blades adapted to selectively connect together the contacts on one Wall or the other.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Bentley June 14, 1938 De Reamer Apr. 4, 1939 Hutt Mar. 26, 1940 Benander Jan. 6, 1942 Hutt Nov. 9, 1943 Clayton Oct. 31, 1950 

